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A frenulum (or frenum) is a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far.
Human anatomy There are frenula at several points of the body, including several in the mouth, some in the digestive tract, and some connected to the external genitalia. Oral tissue Frenula of the mouth include the frenulum linguae under the tongue, the f. labii superioris inside the upper lip, and the f. labii inferioris inside the lower lip. These can easily be torn by violent blows to the face or mouth, and thus a torn frenulum is sometimes a warning sign of physical abuse. In India, the frenulum linguae on the underside of the tongue is occasionally cut in a yogic practice called Kechari mudra, to allow turning of the tongue itself up into the nasal cavity for spiritual practices. If too much of this frenulum is removed, it can result in severe problems. Vulvular tissue In the female, genital frenula include the frenulum clitoridis of the clitoris and the frenulum labiorum pudendi (aka. fourchette) where the labia minora meet at the back. Penile tissue The word frenulum on its own is often used for the frenulum preputii penis, which is an elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects to the prepuce, or foreskin to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the prepuce over the glans. It may be partially or totally removed during the style of hospital circumcision practiced in various countries. According to some authors, the frenulum is "particularly responsive to stimulation", and "very reactive". Frenulum breve is the condition in which the frenulum of the penis is short and restricts the movement of the prepuce, and may or may not interfere with normal sexual activity. The condition can be treated by frenuloplasty, frenectomy, or circumcision, but recently, frenulum breve has been treated with the use of corticosteroid creams and manual stretching of the frenulum. The frenulum may be entirely missing in cases of first degree Hypospadias.* It is possible for the frenulum of the penis to tear during sexual activity. This does not necessarily cause a great deal of pain (especially if accompanied by significant sexual pleasure) but can cause an alarming amount of blood loss. Typically, this is not a medical emergency and the frenulum will heal by itself once the initial bleeding has stopped. A common colloquial term for the penile frenula is "banjo string" or "helmet strap". Animal anatomy The word frenulum also refers to a bristle present at the root of the hindwing of most moths which engages with a small hook on the forewing to join the wings together. See also | ||||||||
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